Avinash Sable, who has been on a record-breaking spree for the last four years, has his eyes firmly set on a new target.
The Maharashtra-born athlete first broke a 37-year-old national mark in 3000m steeplechase in the 2018 National Open Championships by clocking 8:29.80. The 27-year-old set a new national mark for the eighth time by finishing in 8:12.48 at the Rabat Diamond League on Sunday in Morocco, finishing a creditable fifth in a high-quality international field. Now, Sable is aiming to break into the sub-eight minute time.
"When I first started competing in steeplechase in 2018, I clocked somewhere around 8.29-30 regularly. I never thought I would reach a stage where I could rise to the margin of 8.12 at any point.
"I think a sub-eight minute mark is definitely possible. Indians are no less capable than their foreign counterparts," Sable said during a virtual interaction recently.
Beating Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Benjamin Kigen en route his fifth-place finish in Rabat has motivated Sable to do better in the World Athletics Championships to be held in Eugene, USA and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next month.
Speaking to the media from Colorado Springs in the USA, Sable credited his progress in the sport to current coach Scott Simmons. "Scott has played a pivotal role ever since I decided to train under him. I have been learning a lot from him. From changes in training schedule to helping me understand new strategies while competing against world-class athletes," he added.
Last month, Sable smashed the 30-year-old men's 5000m national record at a meet in the USA, clocking 13:25.65, bettering Bahadur Prasad's long-standing record of 13:29.70s set in Birmingham in 1992.
But he has no plans to switch to 5000m or any other long distance events just yet.
"My complete focus is on 3000m steeplechase until Paris Olympics 2024. Maybe after that I will slowly move to 5000m and 10,000m. I intend to do half and full marathons in the future as well. But all that can wait for now," he said.